[ORIGINAL COMMENTARY] Just like with Trinity, I really didn’t like the proportions on Ms Shepard. The oval shape on the original sketch page just wasn’t doing it for me. Instead, I kept playing around with different body shapes until I settled on a more regular, husky figure.

The power-armor was a cool idea, but I started to feel like it clashed a bit too much with the Solarpunk aesthetic of the comic. Also it was way too cumbersome to draw in any quick amount of time. Instead, I wanted to go for something more dark and mysterious, more striking. I like her new getup because it’s more immediately closed-off and gives off the impression that she has something to hide.

Ms Shepard as a person is a quiet, no-nonsense woman who has no trouble keeping people in line. She’d certainly like to think of herself as a tortured soul in a way; she knows she has all of the answers, if only people would listen to her.

What’s her first name, you might ask? You don’t get to know. No one knows. She’s mysterious that way. I don’t even know, and I created her. Though I’m willing to bet Trinity knows…

[NEW COMMENTARY] Now THIS is more like the Ms Shepard we all know. While she was technically introduced, briefly, in Chapter 2 (and even eluded to in C1), Chapter 3 is where she /REALLY/ gets to bounce off of the cast.

I hope I’ve succeeded, so far, in establishing that she’s not just a contrarian or pessimist. Even back at the genesis of her creation, I was aiming for someone that was cautious and cognizant of dangers; she knows how things can go wrong, and does her best to ensure that doesn’t come to pass. There’s logic to why she is the way she is, and I can’t wait to see that continue to bounce off of everyone moving forwards…

[ORIGINAL COMMENTARY] My first sketches of Trinity Shepard’s twin sister, Ms. Shepard, from Key to the Future’s Fate. I was going for a shorter, more oval-shaped look with her. I also knew right away she would be stern as heck and probably walk around in body armor just because.

From the body comparisons next to her, you can see that she’s just a little shorter than Leon. I also included a tiny sketch of what the first floor of Foundation A looks like. For the character that works at Foundation B. Derp.

(The white square is from an unrelated Friday Fan-Art piece. This was back when I still kept Key to the Future’s Fate on the same pages as those.)

[NEW COMMENTARY] Seeing these first drawings of Ms Shepard is so wild to me. The oval-ness of her design is one that I’m glad I didn’t go with; just doesn’t suit her the way her later designs do.

The body armor would have also been a baffling choice, one I’m glad I didn’t go with. It just feels a touch /too/ connected to her namesake – Commander Shepard – ‘s roots. That said, even this far back, the overall head shape remains pretty consistent.